Improved machine for lasting the uppers of boots and shoes



N. PETERS, PHDTO\ ITHOGRAPHER. WASQINGTON u C.

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN R. ETHRIDGE, OF BETHEL, MAINE.

llMPROVED MACHINE FOR LSTING THE UPPERS OF BOOTS AND SHOES- Specification forming part of Letters 4Patent No. 37,907, dated March 17, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN R. ETHRIDGE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Bethel, in the county of Oxford and State of Maine, have invented an Im proved Machine for Lasting the Uppers of either Boots or Shoes; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure l is a top view, Fig. 2 a side elevation,Fig. 3 a longitudinal and vertical section, and Fig. 4 a vertical and transverse section, of the said machine.

The novel features of the said mechanism, by which it may be distinguished from others for a like purpose, may be enumerated as follows: First, apeculiar construction of its crimp ing or lasting jaws-viz., with what may be termed miterjoints 77-whereby such jaws, while in the act of being drawn or forced toward and against the upper of a shoe placed on a last arranged between them, they will be caused to strain the said upper and lay it on the sole without puckers or wrinkles at such joints; second,a tlexibleor spring heel presser, (either stationary or adjustable lengthwise ot' the last,) combined with the crimpingjaws and a toe rest or support, either stationary or adjustable lengthwise of the last; third, a peculiar mechanism for moving the heel, toe, and side crimping or lasting jaws with reference to a last when arranged between them; fourth, mechanism for supporting the last both at its heel and toe and adjusting such last, or either or both of its ends, vertically with reference to the crimping or lasting jaws; fifth, a toe-seat separate from and arranged within the toe-rest and upon the mechanism for vertically adjusting the toe of the last; sixth, the combination and arrangement of elastic cushions with the crimping-jaws.

In the drawings, A denotes the stand by which the main operative parts of the machine are supported. The heel and toe crimping jaws are exhibited at B and G, each of them being supported by arms a a., jointed at their lower ends or parts to the. stand in such manner as to enable the said jaws to be moved either toward or away from each other. Between the said jaws are two side crimping or lasting jaws, D D, which are arranged as shown in the drawings. Each of the said jaws, wherein apposition with the next adjaA cent jaw, is beveled, so as to form therewith a miter-joint, as shown at B in Fig. l. In consequence thereof, while the heel and toe jaws are being moved toward one another, their bevels acting against those of the side jaws, will cause these latter jaws to simultaneously .move toward one another, and all the jaws will be made to so act on the upper or leather held by the last L, placed between the jaws, as to force its edges over upon the insole (when on the sole of the last) in a manner which will eifectually prevent the leather from being pinched and wrinkled between or at the said joints. When. the joints of the crimpingjaws are at right angles, or about so, to the operative or bearing edges of the side jaws, the leather is liable to be caught and compressed or puckered between each side jaw and the adjacent heel and toe jaws; but with my improved mode of constructing the jawsviz., with mitered joints, arranged as specified and represented-the leather `will be so operated on bythe jaws that puckers or wrinkles are seldom or never likely to occur or be produced by and between them.

The four crimping or lasting jaws in'this machine are intended not only to perform the function of drawing and straining the leather over the instep and toe parts of the last, but to force and lay it down closely and smoothly upon an insole when placed 4upon the sole of the last. In order that these jaws may so operate to advantage, it becomes necessary that all of their operative edges or flangesthat is, those which act against the leathershould move in parallelism, or nearly so, with the curved surfaces of the sole on which they are to layl the upper. l

In order that the machine or its crimpingjaws may be adaptable to lasts of diiierent sizes, it is provided with mechanism not only for supporting the last at its heel and toe, but4` for adjusting it vertically, according as4 the.-

size of a last and the thickness of leather toV be stretched on it may require.

or more radial arms, c, which in their turn are supported on centers d d, arranged under the platform cof the stand A, as shown in Fig. 4., such arrangement being so as to cause the operative or bearing edges or ianges of the jaws to move in paths parallel, or nearly so,

Each 'of the side crimping-jaws, D D, is supported by one with the transverse curves of those parts Vof the sole of the last on whichithe upper is tov be laid. To each side jaw, D, thereis a retractive spring, g, which is fixed to the stand, and serves to force the jaw,as well as the heel and toe jaws, away from the last during the backward rotation of their operative cam or eccentric, to be hereinafter described.

Between the heel and toe jawsB C there are arranged an adjustable toe abutment or rest, E, and an adjustable and iiexible heelpresser, F. The end of the toe ofthe upper, when on the last, is to abut against the said rest E, while the toe part of the last is supported on a seat or block, G, which is separate from the toe rest and rests in a recess thereof, and on thevupper end of' an' adjusting-screw, H, which screwsupwardthrough the lower-part of the toe-rest, and serves to adjust the toe of the last vertically with reference tothe toe crimpin g-j aw'. There is' another adjustingsc'rew, l,

(which extends up intoI a cylindrical hole0, formedin the heel-'block'B,) yarran ged underneaththe heel-block, andv serves to adjust the lattery with referenceA tothe heel-j aw B.

The heel-presser F'v consists ofa curved bearerg-h, projected from and supported on a spring, fi, tlfa'tv extends from slider, 7c,y arl" as circumstances may'v require. 'I his'springA also enables the leather of th'elast to be moved thereon by the vheel and toe crimping jaws. When the upper andthe last'a're heldA by rigid jaws separate from the crimpingjaws, the upper cannoty be' drawn closely on the last without' a liability' of beingjinjured; but with the `iexile presser F operating in conjunction with the toe abutment' or restE, not only'will the last andr upper be held in position for the crimping-j aws, butL the leather orupper will be free to be drawn or stretched on the last.` l

The machineryv for forcing the heel and toecrimping jaws toward each other'consists of a yoke, `M,' and an eccentric'or cam, N. The yoke is made of two parallel bars, la k, and a roundrod, l', by which such bars' are connected at or near one end of each'.- This'l yoke is arranged horizontally, and soy as to span thetwo side-crimping jaw-s and the toejaw',l and isy jointed to the heel-crimpingr jaw. Two or more cams,N, of different sizes are' placedfon and so as to.V be capable of being' slide lengthwise and'freely revolved on the rodA may require. In the'periphery of each cam or eccentric one or more holes, n, are made for reception of the end of a lever, by the aid of which the cam or eccentric is to be revolved on the rod l.

In Fig. 4, at a2 a2, there are exhibited two elastic cushions, they in such figure being colored in red. Each of these cushions is to be made of caoutchouc, or its equivalent, and to be fastened to the inner surface of one of the crimping-jaws D D, there being such a cushion to each'of the said jaws and underneath the most projecting part thereof. During the approach of these jaws toward one another, or, inl other words, during the process of la'stinga shoe, these lelastic cushions are borne against lthe upper and serve to press it into thehollow part ofthe sides ofthelast and'draw it lirinly over the instep of the'last prior to the final crimping action of the jaws. rTheseV cushionsV are valuable an'd important auxiliaries-tothejaws.v j

Withthe above-'described'machine the lasting of` the -upper 'on alast and an insole can be accomplished with great facility, and at the same time the leather will be duly stretched on the last andlaid down upon the insole smoothly and without wrinkles or puckers at the joints of the crimping-jaws. These joints, by'their peculiar formation, performv two functions, viz., that of preventing the formation ofI wrin'lles in',y the leather and' thatA of forcing the..` side jaws toward onev another.

I'cl`aim-H l. The construction ofthe criinpin g-jaws with j miteredv j oints'or ends, arra-nged'together substantially'as described.

2'. The combination of a flexible .or heel spring presser, F, as described, with the crimping-jaws and a toe-rest, substantially' as,`

specified.

3. The peculiarl combination for operating or moving the crimping-jaws both tow-ard and from thela'st', thesameconsisting'in theyoke ing-jaws, mechanism, substautiallyjas described, for holding the last' both at its heel and ltoe and mechanism' for adjusting it at either or both ends vertically with referenceto the crirnpiidg-jaws.A

5. The combination` and arrangement of the elastic cushions @'2 a2 with the crimpingjaws D D; Y v

MARTI-'N R. ETHR-I-DGf-E.

Witnesses:

ltpl. EDDY, v J. Ri B'Aivrrfrolv.V 

